Department of Health and Social Care

Dental Services

baroness harris of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the first urgent dental care centre in England was established.

lord bethell: The information is not held centrally.

Blood: Coronavirus

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of (1) the acute shortage of intravenous immunoglobulinsince 2018, (2) the impact of COVID-19 on the supply of that medicine, and (3) the impact of that shortage ontreatment.

lord bethell: NHS England and NHS Improvement have been closely monitoring all use of immunoglobulin stock through the national immunoglobulin database and through the sub-regional immunoglobulin assessment panels (SRIAP), ensuring use of immunoglobulin is used for commissioned indications only and at the correct dosage and frequency. There have been no shortages reported since the beginning of 2019 with supplies being managed carefully by SRIAP.As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue to access the appropriate medicines.The Department is working closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, and precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages.

Gastrointestinal System: Diseases

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the review by François Trotten of the University of Lille and Harry Sokel of the Sorbonne Université Potential Causes and Consequences of Gastrointestinal Disorders during a SARS-CoV-2 Infection, published in Cell Report on 3 July.

lord bethell: Whilst there has not been a specific assessment of the review by François Trotten, we keep all evidence under review and note the work highlighted and the recommendation that more research is needed into gastrointestinal conditions in COVID-19 patients and welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health.The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is the largest public funder of health research in the United Kingdom and has been part of a rolling United Kingdom-wide call for proposals that could make a significant contribution to the understanding, prevention and/or management of the COVID-19 and to better understand and manage the health and social care consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic beyond the acute phase.The NIHR has also published a number of highlight notices to seek research proposals on high-priority areas topics, including on COVID-19 and ethnicity, transmission, and seroprevalence.